Joan Ballantine

Professor Joan Ballantine serves as Professor of Accounting in the Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics at Ulster University Business School. Based at both Belfast campus (Room BC-09-215, 2-24 York Street) and Jordanstown Campus (Shore Road), she maintains an active research profile with an h-index of 19 and 1,298 citations according to Scopus metrics. Her academic leadership extends across multiple research initiatives addressing critical issues in accounting practice and gender equality.

Professor Ballantine's research centers on accounting education, employee voice mechanisms in professional service firms (particularly the Big 4 accounting organizations), and gender budgeting as a tool for promoting equality. Her work demonstrates strong alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Recent projects examine ethical dilemmas in tax practice, organizational decision-making, and the educational environment, often with specific focus on the Irish context.

Analysis of her recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a growing emphasis on sustainability in accounting education, employee voice in unethical situations within tax practices, and the practical implementation of gender budgeting in Northern Ireland's public sector. Her research increasingly bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, particularly through Freirean dialogical pedagogy approaches and gender-responsive budgeting initiatives.

• Insights from team collaboration in the co-creation of an effective leadership and management development programme: The Mini MBA (2019)

Professor Ballantine leads and collaborates on significant research grants including EPIC Futures NI (2024-2026) addressing economic inactivity, and Tackling Inequality through Gender Budgeting (2022-2026) funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Her collaborative approach is evident in projects involving multiple institutional partners across civil society, government, and academic sectors. She has presented on apprenticeships in Northern Ireland and gender budgeting initiatives, demonstrating commitment to translating research into policy impact.

Her research network spans multiple projects investigating gender equality in Northern Ireland's public sector, with particular focus on executive-level gender issues and reconciliation processes. The collaborative nature of her work is reflected in team-based approaches to leadership development and economic inclusion initiatives across the region.